1.0 Ecoboost 123bhp problem

[Nealyblue]

I wonder if anyone can help diagnose this problem?

I recently bought a 1.0 Ecoboost fiesta with the 123bhp engine and within a week whilst flooring it a spanner light came on with a service message and the car lost power. After switching the engine off and back on the car returned to normal. This happened a couple of times so I returned to the garage who claimed the fault was the turbo actuator, they also claimed it doesn't come as a separate part so they replaced the whole turbo.  Within 1 day the fault came back so I returned the car to the garage who have now also replaced the solenoid. What is happening now is for 90% of the time the car is fine but if I go up a steep hill in say 2nd gear until around 5k revs then change to 3rd but have to floor it (for around 3 secs) to keep a constant speed the turbo goes off until I switch the engine off and back on. It is more common in 4th and 5th gear when its not picking up speed but foot is flat to the floor to maintain speed, Is this a fault or a characteristic of the engine?

I really don't know whether to return the car or just make sure I am never flooring the pedal for too long?

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Hi Darren,

No, what you describe is definitely not a characteristic of the engine.

If you have the option of rejecting the vehicle, I would seriously consider doing so**

Irrespective of the actual cause of this fault, the car is due a change of the cambelt at 10 years maximum, which is a very expensive operation in these engines. It is also at the age where typically this can fail prematurely, particularly if the service record is not 100%.

There are very many threads on here on this topic, as well as the internet in general and the issue was recently covered by BBC Watchdog.

** Summary of consumer rights when buying used cars here:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/advice/how-does-the-consumer-rights-act-protect-you-when-you-buy-a-car

[unofix]

35 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

It is also at the age where typically this can fail prematurely

He would be very unlucky if it failed. It only happens to less than 0.01% of Ecoboom owners, so say Ford 🤣🤣

[Eric Bloodaxe]

22 minutes ago, unofix said:

It only happens to less than 0.01% of Ecoboom owners, so say Ford 🤣🤣

Thought I'd better link to the "Watchdog thread" in case anyone thinks you're being serious!😀:

 

[Nealyblue]

Yeah I'm seriously thinking of returning the car, the issue was raised within 2 weeks of owning the car but as I had to wait 3 weeks for it getting booked in, would I still fall under the 30 days ? 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Nealyblue said:

Yeah I'm seriously thinking of returning the car, the issue was raised within 2 weeks of owning the car but as I had to wait 3 weeks for it getting booked in, would I still fall under the 30 days ? 

Possibly not, as it seems you only raised the issue of a fault, not a rejection of the vehicle.

However, see Para 2 (below) of the linked article which should cover it. The dealer has already had two (unsuccessful) shots at a repair from what you say:

 "2. Right to a repair or replacement

If you find a defect after 30 days, but within six months, you can request a car repair or replacement. The dealer chooses which is the best and more affordable option for them, so you usually can’t ask for your preferred choice. You are entitled to this right if the fault was there at the time of delivery, unless the seller can prove it wasn’t. The Consumer Rights Act stipulates that dealers will only get one chance to repair or replace the product, so dealers can’t make multiple attempts to fix a problem unless otherwise agreed. If they fail to remedy the fault in one attempt or within a reasonable time period, you’ll be entitled to a full or partial refund. Alternatively, you can ask for another attempt at repairing/ replacing or for financial compensation. The law says, in almost every case, there can be no reductions from any refund given in the first six months. However, motor vehicles are the one exception, where the seller can make a ‘reasonable’ reduction for the amount the car has been used. The Consumer Rights Act helped at overcoming the previous legislation’s drawback where dealers were allowed more than one attempt at repairing or replacing the product and it was more difficult to get a refund. "